Health Select Committee's inquiry into public expenditure on health and social care
Evidence submission
The King's Fund's written response to the Health Select Committee's inquiry into public expenditure on health and social care.
This submission focuses on the financial state of the health and social care systems. The NHS faces huge pressures as a result of an unprecedented funding squeeze, rising demand for services and the need to safeguard quality following the Francis report. Social care is also under enormous pressure as a result of significant cuts to local authority budgets.
A financial crisis is inevitable in 2015/16. Unless additional funding is found patients will bear the cost as staff numbers are cut, waiting times rise and quality of care deteriorates.
There is scope to improve productivity in the NHS. However, even under the most optimistic scenario outlined in the NHS five year forward view, an additional £8 billion a year in funding will be needed by 2020.